Arizona House Majority Leader: Teachers Should Work Two Jobs Because “This is America”

Yesterday afternoon House Majority Leader John Allen (LD15) said Arizona teachers should have two jobs. While on the House Floor debating SB1042, the teacher de-certification bill, Representative Allen said of teachers working two jobs,“Most of us in this room have a second job. Good for them…That’s America. The idea that we are somehow torturing somebody if they have a second job is just ridiculous. And they have a long summer. What a great opportunity for people like us and teachers to go out and get a second job. Let’s all get a second job this summer.”

It’s the latest show of disrespect from Republican Legislators to Arizona teachers. Hardworking teachers already work long days, nights, and weekends educating our children. But Republicans think the American Dream is working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Republicans and Governor Ducey have an appalling track record of disrespecting Arizona educators and destroying our public schools.

Expanding school vouchers, inadequately funding public schools, insufficient teacher raises and decertifying teachers are an obvious effort to undermine our public schools.

“We have an ongoing crisis with our education system and now the House Majority Leader is insulting teachers by telling them they should work two jobs. The American Dream shouldn’t be working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Our teachers need to focus on educating our kids. The bottom line is our children and schools are suffering and Republican leadership is refusing to take real steps to address it,” said Josselyn Berry, Executive Director of ProgressNow Arizona.

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